Coventry 24/03/2010

At 8am on this Wednesday morning weather was dull. In part it matched my mood as I had not slept very well.

Turning left heading for the tax office building I was confronted by the sight of a crowd of PCS members wearing reflector jackets staffing the three entrances of the tax office building. The welcome I received brushed away the gloom which must have been clearly visible in my face.   

I stood next to a member who was holding a union placard who had been there since 7am despite having blood circulation difficulties. Talking to some others the determination they had in continuing the fight against the assaults being carried by management was evident.  

The tax office building is located in a quiet road and therefore very few vehicles come by.  However, those that came were hooting their horns showing support. Many taxi drivers also came by, clearly to go to the tax office as they are self-employed, but when they noticed the strikers they just turned around and went away and did not cross the picket line. None of the general public passing by was antagonistic or nasty toward the members of PCS but on the contrary was smiling with approval. The recent scandals with MPs expenses, the bankers absurd bonuses and the greedy government ministers showing who they really represent must has had an effect on the consciousness of the population in general.

 I spoke to Ian Hough, Chair of the local PCS, who told me that the strike was more solid than the previous time by pointing out that some members who had gone in before they had joined the dispute. I asked him if he was aware of any tactic or plan for the near future to ensure success in the dispute and he replied that the NEC were going to meet soon. Later on we all went in the local club where some food was waiting for us.

What is very clear is that the action taken thus far by PCS members has been very determined and aimed at changing the mind of the government in relation to attacks on terms and conditions, especially at this time redundancy pay. But the stakes are high. The next government, being Tory or Labour, will try to cut the public sector deficit caused initially by the immense amount of cash given to the bankers in order to sustain the present capitalist society. This implies even greater wealth given to increase the already immoral living standard of the few as well as attacks that reduce for the many the already meagre wages, the just above poverty line pension or increasing the retirement age to 70 or even more of PCS members as well as other workers. On the basis of capitalism there is no other solution - the lottery salaries of the bosses can’t be touched so workers will have to pay.

On Wednesday I noticed the determination of the PCS members but that alone is not sufficient to achieve a victory. This is not an ordinary wage dispute. What will follow even more in the immediate future (it has already started) will be concerted attacks after attacks by a Tory or Labour government to protect the interests, wealth and power of the capitalists. The warnings of what is to come have already been stated in the media.

What is needed is a plan of action and a programme. Firstly, on the industrial front there is the need to tie in the coming struggles with other unions and present a united front of workers’ organisations to defend living standards, terms and conditions. Secondly, on the political level, the choice facing workers is either to vote for a whole number of small groups who claim to be workers’ parties or to get into the traditional party of the working class, the Labour Party, and reclaim it for workers by taking it out of the hands of the careerists and money makers who have no interest in defending the working class they claim to represent. Thirdly, there is the need to recognise that the present crisis reflects a deep malaise in the capitalist system, a system that has to be changed so that working people can enjoy the fruits of their labour and not be squeezed to defend the interests of capital. If capitalism continues, the attacks on working people will grow.